EP2964540A1 - Pallet container - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a pallet container (10) for storing and transporting in particular aseptic liquid filling materials, comprising a base pallet (12), a grid frame (14) having metal bars, which is mounted thereon, and a fabric bag or a fabric cover (16) which is suspended in said grid frame and in which a liquid-tight inliner (17) of a plastic and/or a metal film is arranged for receiving the liquid filling material. In order to make this pallet container re-usable after use, i.e. after emptying the sensitive filling material, it is proposed according to the invention that the outer fabric cover (16) and the inner-side liquid-tight inliner (17) of a plastic and/or a metal film are provided with a pre-assembled filling and removal fitting (30) as a separately prefabricated flat, folded packet in the delivery state in the form of a modular unit and the outer fabric cover (16), which is suspended in the grid frame (14), and the inner-side inliner (17) cannot be separated from each other within their intended use, but are designed to be interchangeable only as a complete modular unit. In order to bring the pallet container (10) into a ready-for-use state, the deployed fabric cover (16) is fastened with belts (40) to the upper grid frame (14) and the removal pipe of the filling and removal fitting (30) is fixed with an adapter plate (34) at the lower grid frame (14) by means of a snap/latching connection.

Description

 pallet container

The present invention relates to a pallet container for storage and transport of especially aseptic liquid products, with a

Floor pallet, a welded grid frame attached to it

Metal bars and a woven fabric bag or a tissue envelope suspended therein, in which a liquid-tight inliner made of plastic and / or metal foil for receiving the liquid filling material is arranged.

Such a pallet container is z. B. from EP 2 149 508 B1 previously known. In this pallet container is the inner fluid-absorbing inliner

formed exchangeable, including the outer fabric shell is provided at the top with a large closable flap opening. To replace the liner after a single use, the entire used pallet container must be transported empty to a central processing station to be provided with a new inliner there. To install a new inliner, the upper flap of the fabric cover must be opened. Through the opening of the new inliner must be inserted and fixed. The installation is complicated and laborious; it can only be carried out by a suitably trained specialist. This is costly and cumbersome because the inside liners can not be worked up disadvantageously with any reconditioner. Another disadvantage of the known pallet container is that the inliner throws wrinkles when filled under pressure, which can delay the emptying later, in particular by being able to obstruct the opening of the withdrawal nozzle.

It is an object of the present invention to propose a manageable and practical solution that allows a simple and cost-effective replacement of used inliners and further avoids long transport routes, since the replacement of the inliner can be performed at each reconditioner on site. Another object of the invention is designed to design the components of the pallet container so that the inliner when filling under

CONFIRMATION COPY Pressure causes no wrinkles that can delay the emptying, in particular by blocking the opening of the sampling nozzle.

This object is achieved according to the characterizing features in that the outer fabric shell and the inside liquid-tight inliner

Plastic film with pre-assembled filling and dispensing nozzle as a separately prefabricated flat folded package in delivery condition in the form of a

Module unit is provided and the hinged in the grid frame outer fabric cover and the inside liner are not separable from each other within their intended use but only interchangeable as a complete modular unit.

In the delivery state, the module unit of outer fabric cover and liquid-tight inliner plastic and / or metal foil with mounted

Filling and removal fitting (in the following also partly as

"Entnahmearmatur" referred to) as a flat folded package with a folding surface

Dimensions of slightly smaller than the inside dimension within the grid frame.

In this case, the liquid-tight liner is folded flat for itself, in such a way that it unfolds evenly when filling to the outside and does not hinder or delay the filling. The folding is as follows:

The inliner has flat design a rectangular blank with a

Top and a bottom with two longer side edges and two short side edges to the front and back on. The side edges are welded together at their outer edges or outer edges

The inliner is centered on its top with a small, short

Entgasungsstutzen and on its underside with a larger filling and withdrawal nozzle (hereinafter sometimes also referred to as "sampling socket") provided, which is located near the front short side edge of the liner In a first step, the corners of the liner in each case folded towards the center to the there arranged small degassing, so that a transverse to the long side edges extending narrow web remains .In a second step the two outer edges of the narrow web are folded for a short distance towards the middle in the direction of the central degassing port, so that an approximately

diamond-shaped form with a front and a rear tip results, with the filling and withdrawal nozzle sits on the bottom of the front side of the rhombus. In a further step, the two just collapsed side edges of the narrow web are again folded to the center for another short distance, and in the last step of the inliner folding, the front and the back of the rhombus tip are also to the middle to close to the central degassing folded in, so now the footprint of the finished

folded inliner having a final folding surface with dimensions of slightly smaller than the internal dimension within the grid frame, wherein the

Filling and dispensing nozzle is folded on the top of the liner and sits close to the front edge of the folded inliner. Subsequently, the folded inliner is placed on a thin bottom plate and fixed on this.

In the module unit, the fabric cover is folded in only in its side walls, wherein the inner finished folded inliner together with the mounted removal fitting within the fabric cover is free of any fixation or attachment to the fabric cover.

Constructively, the module unit has a peculiarity in that within the tissue envelope below the liner a thin rigid bottom plate is arranged, on which the liner is fixed, wherein the bottom plate is not attached to the tissue envelope.

In an embodiment of the invention, the thin bottom plate is formed on the front side over the inner dimension within the lattice frame extended and this

Extension is connected via a kinkfalzartiges film hinge with the bottom plate. In this case, an opening is further provided centrally in the extension, through which the filling and removal nozzle of the inliner inserted with externally attached filling and removal fitting and secured from the outside. In the flat folded state of delivery of the modular unit, the extension with attached filling and removal fitting is flat on the folded inliner folded back or folded.

The delivered folded module unit can now at each

Reconditioners should be placed in a pallet cage by any non-trained personnel. For this purpose, the outer fabric cover is initially hung simply with four attachment loops in the corners of the grid frame; then the vertically folded extension with removal fitting

folded up and attached to the metal bars of the grid frame.

In the inserted state of the module unit, the outer fabric cover is in

Spanned grid frame and fixed, the extension of the bottom plate is folded up by 90 degrees in the vertical and fixed by means of a catch plate behind the removal fitting on the front of the grid frame. The folded inliner unfolds later during the filling by itself.

Thus, the used pallet container is again equipped with a new fabric cover and an aseptic inliner and can be shipped to customers or bottlers. For customers, these pallet containers with flexible casings can be filled exactly at the same filling systems as those used for the previously used stainless steel IBCs.

When filling such stainless steel BCs, the contents are regularly flowed under high pressure via a filling pipe connected to the bottom-side filler fitting. The fact that the liner of the pallet container according to the invention is fixed surface on the thin bottom plate, it is ensured that when filling the inliner, which is done with high pressure, no wrinkles in the bottom surface of the liner can form, which later with a removal with strong suction of the

Place the contents in front of the bottom removal opening and block them.

In addition, the pallet container according to the invention is equipped with a residual emptying aid, which prevents wrinkles during emptying Emptying process successively coincident inliners the opening of the

Block filling and withdrawal nozzle.

The invention will be explained and described in more detail with reference to embodiments schematically illustrated in the drawings. Show it:

Figure 1 in an overall view of a pallet container according to the invention

 hinged fabric cover and interchangeable liner, Figure 2 a erfindungsemäßen pallet container with hinged

 Fabric cover and slices of the thin-walled inliner, Figure 3 shows a partial view of the connection of the adapter plate with the

 Figure 4 in plan view, the top of the pallet container according to the invention Figure 5 shows the sequence of steps of the invention folding the thin-walled

 liner

 FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a tubular residual emptying aid, FIG. 7 is a side view of the emptying aid according to FIG. 6.

FIG. 1 shows a pallet container 10 according to the invention with a bottom pallet 12, a lattice frame 14 and an attached fabric cover 16 with an inliner 17 on the inside.

In Figure 2, the structural design of the pallet container 10 according to the invention is shown. The pallet container 10 according to the invention is designed as follows:

The lattice frame 14 with its firmly connected bottom pallet 12 is used for loading and transport handling. It can be lifted and transported by industrial trucks and has already proven itself as a standard IBC with PE bubble. The fabric sheath 16 with internal inliner 17 is defined as a replaceable modular unit. The module unit fulfills two tasks. For one thing, be with the

Strength and elasticity of the outer fabric shell 16 taken the static and dynamic forces occurring and on the other serves the inside Inliner 17 for the gas and liquid tightness of the entire container. The fabric sheath 16 is stretched by the four straps 40 in the grid frame 14. In the unfilled state, the inliner 17 lies on the bottom of the tissue casing 16 and has no filling volume in this state. The inliner 17 has a special fold and is fixed on a bottom plate 20. This is located under the inliner 17 and in the valve area and in front of the inliner 17. The bottom plate 20 is not in the

Fabric sheath 16 fixed. It is only about the base and the

Adapter plate 34 is positioned. The function of the bottom plate 20 also includes the protection of the inliner 17 against penetration of sharp objects from below and horizontal support at high filling speeds. Access to the inner volume of the inliner 17 via the filling and removal fitting 30, wherein the volume of the inliner 17 in the unfilled state corresponds to zero and in the filled state of the contents. The volume of the inliner 17 is limited by that of the fabric casing 16. Optionally, a degassing pipe 32 can be mounted on the top side of the inliner 17. If the contents are to be stirred by a gas before removal, so the amount of gas, the volume of the

Tissue envelope 16 exceeds, be discharged through the degassing 32. For this purpose, the viewing window 36 is opened as an irreversible access 38 or

sliced open and a sterile filter screwed onto the degassing pipe 32. The filling and withdrawal nozzle 28 is replaced by the adapter plate 34 at the

Grid frame 14 fixed. The adapter plate 34 provides with a recessed trough for the necessary distance of the filling and withdrawal nozzle 28. This must not project beyond the projection surface of the lattice frame 14. The adapter plate 34 allows easy connection of the filling and removal fitting 30 to filling and emptying systems. Commercially available filling guns can be connected by their geometry directly to the filling and removal fitting 30. The inliner 17 rises during filling by itself. A manipulation from the outside by the filler is neither required nor desired, nor by the closed fabric cover 16 possible.

The partial view of the pallet container with grid frame 14, bottom pallet 12 and hinged fabric cover 16 in Figure 3 shows the filling and removal fitting 30 with adapter plate 34. The adapter plate 34 has a trough inward and provides thus for the necessary positioning of the filling and withdrawal nozzle 28 with attached filling and removal fitting 30 so that they do not have the

Projection surface of the grid frame 14 protrudes outward.

FIG. 4 shows the upper side of the pallet container 10 according to the invention. In the fabric envelope 16, a transparent pane is firmly incorporated as a closed viewing window 36. It serves the visual inspection of the level. FIG. 4 shows this

Viewing window 36 with introduced degassing 32. Such is required if the filling material is to be stirred before removal by a gas. The

Introducing an opening for access to the degassing nozzle 32 is irreversible because the viewing window 36 is not designed resealable, but must be pierced or cut open for introducing the opening for access to the degassing pipe 32.

FIG. 5 shows the individual steps for folding the inliner 17 according to the invention.

The inliner 17 has flat design a rectangular blank with an upper side and a lower side with two longer side edges and two shorter side edges to the front and to the back, which are welded together at their outer edges or outer edges. Centered on its upper side, the inliner 17 is provided with a small, short degassing nozzle 32 and on its underside with a larger filling and removal nozzle 28, which is arranged near the front short side edge of the inliner 17.

As long as the pallet container 10 is not yet filled, d. H. still in the

Is empty, the inliner 17 is flat in a particular fold

folded in the suspended in the lattice frame 14 of the pallet container 10 fabric cover 16, directly on the upper deck of the bottom pallet 12. It is the

Inliner 17 only via the sampling nozzle 20 by means of an adapter plate 34 on

Grid frame 14 of the pallet container 10 attached. The inliner 17 is only by the patch on the sampling nozzle 20 filling and removal fitting 30 at Filled bottler and - after a transport to a customer - there emptied again through the removal fitting 22.

For an automatic deployment of the inliner 17 during the filling of the

Pallet container 10, the inliner 17 is particularly folded and constructed constructively:

In the flat-laid inliner 17, according to FIG. 5, in the first step, the corners of the inliner 17 are folded toward the middle of the small, short degassing stub 32 arranged there, so that a narrow web extending transversely to the long side edges remains. In the second step, the two

Outer edges of the narrow web folded by a short distance toward the center in the direction of central degassing 32, so that there is an approximately diamond-shaped shape with a front and a back tip. In this case, the sampling nozzle 20 is now located on the underside of the front rhombus tip. Afterwards, the two side margins of the narrow bridge, which have just been folded in, are folded in again for another short distance towards the middle. In the last step of the inliner folding, the front and the back of the rhombus tip are also folded to the middle close to the central degassing 32, so that now the base of the finished folded inliner 17 a final fold area with dimensions of slightly smaller than the inside dimension within the Lattice frame 14 has. In this case, the withdrawal nozzle 20 has now been folded onto the upper side of the inliner 17 and is seated close to the front edge of the folded inliner 17.

In the following step, the folded inliner 17 on a thin

Base plate 20 placed and fixed on this. The thin bottom plate 20 may, for. Example of thin sheet metal, cardboard, wood, a hardboard or preferably made of plastic. The fixation of the inliner 17 on the bottom plate 20 can be realized by two-dimensionally applied adhesive or preferably simply by means of double-sided adhesive tape 25.

To a substantial increase in stability or stabilization of the inliner 17 - which is not connected to the outer fabric sheath 16 (fixed) - within the Lattice frame 14, the thin bottom plate 20 is formed on the front side over the inner dimension within the lattice frame 14 extended, said extension 22 is connected via a kinkfalzartiges film hinge 24 with the bottom plate 20.

In the middle of the extension 22, an opening 26 is introduced, through which the

Removal nozzle 20 of the liner 17 is inserted through the outside. Im flat

folded delivery state of the module unit, consisting of fabric sheath 16 and inserted inliner 17, the extension 22 is attached with

Removal fitting 22 flat on the folded inliner 17 completed or

folded back.

In the inserted state of the module unit, the outer fabric sheath 16 is in

Grid frame 14 spanned and fixed, the extension 22 of the bottom plate 20 folded up by 90 degrees in the vertical and by means of a behind the

Removal fitting 22 cross adapter plate 34 at the front of the

Grid frame 14 is attached.

Figure 6 shows a tubular residual emptying aid in a perspective view and Figure 7 shows the side view of the residual emptying aid.

For optimum functioning of the pallet container 10 according to the invention with inserted module unit during filling and unfolding of the inliner 17 in the

Filling plant at a bottler and when sucking the liquid contents at the customer (= emptier), the inliner (17) is inside the opening of the

bottom-side sampling nozzle (28) equipped with a special means for improved emptying of the filling material. This means of improved

Remaining emptying of the contents consists of a short tubular

Remaining emptying aid 42, as a flexible, made of thin plastic material

existing corrugated tube 44 is formed with a plurality of lateral bores 46, as shown in Figure 7. The thin-walled corrugated pipe 44 has a wall thickness of about 1 mm, a length of about 300 to 500 mm, preferably about 400 mm, and a diameter of about 35-57 mm, suitable for a 2 inch nozzle. It is inserted through the filling and withdrawal nozzle 28 in the inliner 17 and with the Filling and removal fitting 30 screwed onto the filling and withdrawal nozzle 28 of the inliner 17.

As is clear in FIG. 6, the lateral bores 46 are introduced into the corrugated tube 44 from four directions, so that there are always a row of bores 46 located just above the inliner bottom. This ensures that even the smallest amounts of residual liquid can still be sucked out of the inliner 17, without the risk that could pull through the strong suction negative pressure, the film of the inliner 17 before the opening of the sampling nozzle.

Reference Number List - Pallet Container

- floor pallet

- Grid frame

- fabric cover

- Inliner

- Inliner with special fold

- bottom plate

- Extension of the base plate (20)

- Film hinge

- double sided tape

- opening in (22)

- Folded inliner and fixed on base plate (20) - filling and withdrawal nozzle

- Filling and withdrawal fitting

- degassing

- Adapter plate

- closed window

- irreversible access through the viewing window belt to tighten the fabric cover (16) - tubular residual emptying aid

- flexible corrugated tube

- lateral holes

- flange edge

Claims

claims 1.) pallet container (10) for storing and transporting in particular aseptic liquid products, with a bottom pallet (12), a grid frame (14) mounted thereon of metal rods and a fabric bag or a tissue cover (16) hinged therein liquid-tight inliner (17) made of plastic and / or metal foil is arranged for receiving the liquid product, characterized in that the outer fabric shell (16) and the inside liquid-tight inliner (17) made of plastic and / or metal foil with a filling and withdrawal nozzle 28 of the inliner pre-assembled filling and removal fitting (30) as a separately prefabricated flat folded package as delivered in the form of a module unit is provided and in the grid frame (14) hinged outer fabric cover (16) and the inside liner (17) within its intended Use not separable from each other but are designed to be interchangeable only as a complete module unit. 2.) pallet container according to claim 1, characterized in that the module unit of outer fabric sheath (16) and liquid-tight inliner (17) of plastic and / or metal foil with mounted filling and removal fitting (30) as a flat folded package a folding surface with dimensions of slightly smaller than the inside dimension within the lattice frame (14) having. 3.) pallet container according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the liquid-tight inliner (17) is folded flat for itself and the fabric cover (16) together with the inner liner (17) is folded differently for itself, wherein the folded inliner (17) together with the mounted filling and removal armature (30) within the Tissue sheath (16) is free from any fixation or attachment to the tissue sheath (16). 4.) pallet container according to claim 1, 2 or 3, characterized in that within the fabric cover (16) below the liner (17) a thin rigid Bottom plate (20) is arranged, on which the inliner (17) is fixed. 5.) pallet container according to claim 1, 2, 3 or 4, characterized in that the thin bottom plate (20) front over the inside dimension within the Lattice frame (14) is formed extended and this extension (22) via a kinkfalzartiges film hinge (24) with the bottom plate (20) is connected. 6.) pallet container according to claim 5, characterized in that in the middle of the extension (22) an opening (26) is provided, through which the filling and removal nozzle (28) of the inliner (17) inserted with externally fitted filling and removal fitting (30) through and fixed from the outside. 7.) Pallet container according to one of the preceding claims 5 or 6, characterized in that in flat folded delivery state of the module unit, the extension (22) with attached filling and removal fitting (30) flat on the folded inliner (17) covered or folded back. 8.) pallet container according to one of the preceding claims 5 to 7, characterized in that in the inserted state of the modular unit, the outer fabric cover (16) in Grid frame (14) is clamped and fixed, wherein the extension (22) of the bottom plate (20) folded by 90 degrees in the vertical and by means of a behind the filling and removal fitting (30) cross adapter plate (34) on the Front side of the grid frame (14) is attached. 9.) pallet container according to one of the preceding claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the inliner (17) has a special fold such that it comprises the following features:  The inliner (17) has flat design a rectangular blank with an upper side and a lower side with two longer side edges and two shorter side edges to the front and to the back,  The inliner (17) is centered on its upper side with a small, short degassing (32) and provided on its underside with a larger filling and removal nozzle (28) which is located near the front short side edge of the liner,  In a first step, the corners of the inliner are each folded towards the middle to the small, short degassing pipe (32) arranged there, so that a narrow web extending transversely to the long side edges remains.  In a second step, the two outer edges of the narrow web are folded for a short distance toward the center in the direction of central degassing (32), so that an approximately diamond-shaped shape results with a front and a rear tip, wherein the filling and withdrawal nozzle ( 28) sits on the underside of the front rhombus tip,  In a further step, the two side margins of the narrow web which have just been folded in are folded in again for another short distance towards the middle,  In the last step of the inliner folding, the front and the rear rhombus tips are also folded to the middle close to the central degassing (32), so that now the base of the finished folded inliner (17) has a final folding surface with dimensions of slightly smaller than the internal dimension within the grid frame (14), wherein the filling and removal nozzle (28) is folded onto the top of the inliner (17) and sits close to the front edge of the folded inliner,  In the following step, the folded inliner (17) is placed on a thin bottom plate (20) and fixed on this. 10.) pallet container according to claim 9, characterized in that the fixation of the inliner (17) on the bottom plate (20) is realized by surface applied adhesive. 11.) pallet container according to claim 9, characterized in that the fixation of the inliner (17) on the bottom plate (20) by means of double-sided Adhesive tapes (25) is realized. 12.) Pallet container according to one of the preceding claims 1 to 11, characterized in that preferably in the middle of the closed surface of the fabric envelope (16) a transparent transparent pane is incorporated as a viewing window (36). 13. pallet container according to one of the preceding claims 1 to 12, characterized in that preferably approximately centrally in the closed surface of the inliner lockable degassing (32) is firmly incorporated. 14) Pallet container according to one of the preceding claims 1 to 13, characterized in that the inliner (17) inside before the opening of the bottom filling and Abnahmestutzens (28) with a means for improved emptying of the Filling is equipped. 15) pallet container according to claim 14, characterized in that the means for improved emptying of the filling material is a tube (42) which is a flexible, consisting of thin plastic material corrugated tube (44) with a Variety of side holes (46) is formed. 16) pallet container according to one of the preceding claims 14 to 15, characterized in that the corrugated tube (44) has a flange edge end (48) which is clamped in the assembled state for fixing within the inliner (17) between the filling and withdrawal nozzle (28) and screwed fitting (30). 17) module unit consisting of a fabric cover (16) and an inserted folded inliner (17), for use in a pallet container according to one of the preceding claims 1 to 16, characterized in that the inliner (17), which is not connected to the outer fabric wrap (16), is fixed on a thin bottom plate 20 which is frontally elongated beyond the inside dimension within the grid frame (14), and this extension (22) is via a crease-like film hinge (24) is connected to the bottom plate (20), wherein in the middle of the extension (22) has an opening (32) is inserted through which the filling and removal nozzle (28) of the inliner (17) is inserted through, wherein in flat folded state of delivery of the module unit, the extension (22) with mounted removal fitting (22) flat on the folded inliner (17) folded back or folded back. 18) Method for special folding of an inliner for an automatic Unfolding of the inliner during the filling of a pallet container by a bottom-side filling and withdrawal nozzle, characterized by the following method steps  the inliner, which has a rectangular blank with an upper side and a lower side with two longer side edges and two shorter side edges Face and back is flat,  the corners of the inliner are each folded towards the middle to a small, short degassing connection arranged there, so that a narrow web extending transversely to the long side edges remains, the two outer edges of the narrow web are folded for a short distance toward the center in the direction of central degassing, resulting in an approximately diamond-shaped shape with a front and a rear tip, wherein the sampling neck sits on the underside of the front rhombus tip, the two side margins of the narrow bridge, which have just been folded in, are folded in again for another short distance towards the middle,  the front and the back of the rhombus tip are also folded to the middle close to the central degassing, so that now has the base of the finished folded inliner a final fold area with dimensions of slightly smaller than the inside dimension within the lattice frame, wherein the sampling nozzle on the top the inliner is folded and sits close to the front edge of the folded inliner. 19) A method of folding the inliner according to claim 18, characterized in that The folded inliner is placed on a thin base plate and fixed on this.